Hawkwing’s Journey

Chapter 23

Hawkwing gave an amused mrrow, enjoying the way Dodge’s eyes flared in fury. “Cat for cat, we’re much better fighters than any of you. I’ll bet there’s not a single cat in your group that could stand a chance against one of our warriors.”

Dodge let out an incredulous snort, while at the same time Leafstar exclaimed, “Hawkwing, don’t be reckless!”

“It’s not reckless,” Hawkwing retorted steadily. He turned back to Dodge. “You and me. If we fight and I win, then you let us go unharmed—including Curlypaw down there.”

“And if I win?” Dodge rumbled, looking amused.

“Then the SkyClan cats will fight for you, as you wish. You will have backup in your attack on Stick. But either way, you will release Curlypaw.”

“Doesn’t sound like much of a deal,” Dodge meowed. “I’ve already got what I want.”

“But have you?” Leafstar asked him. “If we decide to fight against you, then some of us will die. But so will some of your cats. M aybe even you.”

“Unless you really are too much of a coward?” Hawkwing sneered.

A flame of fury lit in Dodge’s yellow eyes. His tabby fur bristled until he looked almost twice his size. He slid out his claws.

“Stop calling me a coward!” he snarled, and leaped straight for Hawkwing. “I accept your pathetic challenge!”

Caught off guard by the unexpected onrush, Hawkwing was bowled off his paws. Dodge’s weight was pinning him down; he was half smothered by tabby fur. Dodge’s eyes gleamed close to his own.

“Are you ready to die, mouse-breath?” Dodge hissed.

“Not yet!”

With a massive effort Hawkwing brought up his hind paws and thrust Dodge upward, enough for him to roll free and spring to his paws. In a brief glance he saw his Clanmates standing around them in a wide circle, ready to intercept any of Dodge’s cats who might try to interfere.

As Dodge rushed at him again, Hawkwing stepped neatly aside and raked a pawful of claws across Dodge’s good ear and the side of his head. Dodge let out a screech, more of fury than pain. He spun around faster than Hawkwing would have thought possible and reared up on his hind paws. Hawkwing tried to dive in and slash at his belly, but Dodge dropped down on top of him, claws digging deep into his shoulders. For a moment Hawkwing staggered as a red wave of pain surged through him. He knew that if he fell to the ground now, the fight would be over.

Letting himself go limp, he slid downward, bracing his legs underneath him. As Dodge let out a triumphant yowl, Hawkwing powered upward again, heaving Dodge’s massive weight off him.

Briefly unbalanced, Dodge spat a curse, and Hawkwing leaped at the muscular tom in a storm of teeth and claws. The two cats wrestled in a screeching knot of fur, their legs and tails tangled together.

Head spinning, Hawkwing fought free and sprang back, taking in huge gulps of air. Dodge faced him, lips drawn back in a snarl.

Blood was trickling from his shoulder and a clump of fur was missing from his chest; Hawkwing didn’t even remember striking the blows.

A confused roaring sound was coming from all around him, and as his head cleared Hawkwing realized that his Clanmates were chanting his name. “Hawkwing! Hawkwing!” He caught a glimpse of Pebbleshine, her eyes glowing with pride.

The support from his Clan poured new energy into Hawkwing.

He sprang at Dodge, darting past him while he slashed his claws down Dodge’s side. Dodge followed him up with lumbering paw steps.

He’s slowing down! Hawkwing thought with a spark of hope.

He’s a big cat, but big cats like him don’t have much energy. He’s tiring. Maybe I can win this battle!

But Dodge wasn’t finished yet. He hurled himself at Hawkwing, carrying him off his paws again and using his greater weight to hold him down. Blinded by his fur, Hawkwing felt teeth meet in his shoulder. With Dodge pressing down on him, he could hardly breathe. He struggled to free himself, but he could feel his strength beginning to ebb away.

But in the darkness of Hawkwing’s mind a vision appeared. He remembered the last time a strong cat had him pinned to the ground; remembered Sharpclaw in combat, unaware of the rogue cat, Rain, sneaking up on him…

The memory fell away, and Hawkwing thought of Darktail triumphant in the gorge, while SkyClan scattered. Dodge could have warned us, and then none of us would have trusted Darktail.

But he didn’t… I will not die at the claws of this vile cat!

Hawkwing gathered all his remaining strength. Freeing a paw, he lashed out at random. He felt his claws slice through fur and flesh, and warmth gushed over his paw. The grip of Dodge’s teeth slackened and his body convulsed; one flailing paw caught

Hawkwing in the belly.

Pulling away, Hawkwing tottered to his paws and saw Dodge lying in front of him, a twitching heap of tabby fur. Blood still pumped from a gash in his throat. As Hawkwing gazed at him the last twitches faded and his eyes began to glaze over.

He’s dead! Hawkwing could hardly believe what he was seeing.

I killed him without even knowing it.

As he stood there, breathing hard, stunned at finding himself still alive, Hawkwing’s Clanmates surged around him.

“You won!”

“Well fought!”

“Hawkwing! Hawkwing!”

Pebbleshine ran up to him and rubbed her cheek against his.

“You’re so brave!” she whispered. “And so stupid!”

Gradually triumph began to swell in Hawkwing’s chest. He could feel the pain from Dodge’s teeth and claws in his shoulders, and the stinging of innumerable scratches he hadn’t felt before, but none of that mattered.

SkyClan is safe!

A moment later he wasn’t so sure. Furious screeches came from Dodge’s cats; some of them leaped down from their positions on the walls and came bounding toward Hawkwing and his Clanmates.

At a swift order from Leafstar, the SkyClan cats gathered in a tight circle, facing outward, with Hawkwing and the other wounded cats in the center. Despite his injuries, Hawkwing wriggled through to the outside, ready to take part in what might be SkyClan’s last battle.

“Stop!”

Before any of Dodge’s cats could reach SkyClan’s defensive circle, Harley let out a yowl from where he still stood on top of the pile of stones. The attacking cats halted, giving each other uncertain glances.

“Dodge made a bargain, and he lost,” Harley continued. “Now we must honor it. SkyClan must be allowed to leave, unharmed.”

“Just like that?” One of the cats, a ginger-and-white tom, looked up at Harley with disbelief in his eyes.

“Exactly like that, Skipper,” Harley retorted. Raising his head to address all the cats, he continued, “Do you want to live like this, always fighting and killing? There’s enough prey in this Twolegplace for every cat. We should stay on our side of the border and let Stick and his cats stay on theirs.”

To Hawkwing’s surprise, yowls of agreement came from all around on the ruined walls. He could see that not all the cats were happy about what Harley had said, but none of them argued any further, and none of them moved forward to attack.

“I hope Harley can establish himself as leader,” Sparrowpelt murmured into Hawkwing’s ear. “He would do a better job of it than Dodge, that’s for sure.”

“Bring up the prisoner,” Harley ordered.

Soon Hawkwing saw the two guards escorting Curlypaw up the jagged slope to ground level. She rushed over to Sagenose and Birdwing; they pressed closely against her and covered her ears with licks.

“Thank you,” Leafstar meowed to Harley. “Now will some cat show us the way out of here?”

“I can do that.” A small, dark shape darted out of the shadows behind the ruined wall; Hawkwing recognized Shorty.

“What are you doing here?” Harley challenged him.

Shorty dipped his head. “I followed my friends,” he replied, angling his ears toward the SkyClan cats. “I needed to know what was going on. Wouldn’t you have done the same?” he challenged Harley.

A glimmer of amusement appeared in Harley’s eyes. “I suppose I would,” he admitted. “Now get out of here. All of you.”